Mayors 'wish list' 12 projects

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Mayors and government on collision course

Mayors and government on collision course
Darren Cartwright
July 19, 2011 - 1:19PM

Southeast Queensland mayors are on an election collision course with the state government over a $2.8 billion infrastructure wish list.

Southeast Queensland Council of Mayors chairman Graham Quirk today announced a dozen projects they want the government to help fund.

Labelled the dynamic dozen, the projects include the Gold Coast Rapid Transit project, the elimination of dangerous level crossings and an emergency helipad for the flood-hit Lockyer Valley.

Mr Quirk made no secret of the fact the plan, much of which centres around public transport and easing traffic congestion, is timed to coincide with the next state election.

"This is very much an election lobby wish list," he told reporters.

"In a budget the size of the state it is not an unreasonable ask.

"These projects are critical to ensure the liveability functioning of our southeast corner."

Queensland Treasurer Andrew Fraser made no commitment to the projects, saying the government was focussing first on rebuilding infrastructure damaged by floods and cyclone.

He said he would study the plan in more detail, and was critical of the Southeast Queensland Council of Mayors' motives.

"The reality here is we have to fund an infrastructure program to rebuild from floods and cyclone and making long-term investments in the state," Mr Fraser said.

"It's unfortunate if it goes into an election shopping list rather than being about long term planning.

"Those (councils) that want to stump up money rather than just stump up press releases are the ones we want to talk to."

Mr Quirk said mayors would welcome private sector investment on projects the state government wouldn't fund.

"We are prepared to put in 50 per cent of the funding towards (some of) those projects, traditional state projects," the Liberal National Party lord mayor of Brisbane said.

"The treasurer has got a problem with debt he is trying to address."

Opposition treasury spokesman Tim Nicholls said the federal opposition had already committed to building a Toowoomba bypass, which was included in a previously released wishlist.

The LNP would look at funding some of the projects if they won government.

"At state level there's been a deficit of planning for statewide infrastructure," Mr Nicholls said.

AAP

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/mayors-and-government-on-collision-course-20110719-1hml7.html

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/the-12-projects-on-the-mayors-wishlist-20110719-1hml9.html

The 12 projects on the mayors' wishlist
July 19, 2011 - 1:19PM

The 12 projects, labelled the dynamic dozen, the Southeast Queensland Council of Mayors are lobbying the state government to fund.

   Gold Coast Rapid Transit (stage two): $1.375 million (estimated cost), $500 million (funding required), 2018 (completion).
   Gold Coast Transitway and bikeway upgrades: $15 million, $10 million, 2016.
   Redland City for Port of Brisbane corridor: $360 million, $180 million, 2011-2026
   Dangerous open level crossing elimination projects: $252 million, $170 million, 2014-16
   Redland City-Gateway Motorway corridor: $196 million, $196 million, 2016.
   Bayley Road extension (Warrego Hwy): $80 million, $16 million, 2014.
   Mt Lindesay Highway upgrade (stage two): $100 million, $100 million, 2021.
   Lockyer Valley emergency helipad: $1.5 million, $1.5 million, 2012.
   Sunshine Coast CoastConnect (bus corridor); $350 million; $350 million, 2014-19.
   Beaudesert Town Centre Bypass: $30 million, $20 million, 2013.
   Toowoomba CBD ring road: $40 million, $40 million, 2012.
   Timber bridge replacement program: $40 million, $20 million, 2014.

AAP

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/the-12-projects-on-the-mayors-wishlist-20110719-1hml9.html

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Future will be built with new cash models

Future will be built with new cash models
Tony Moore
July 19, 2011 - 4:10PM

Both Labor and the LNP are exploring new "funding models" to encourage private sector investment in infrastructure, southeast Queensland mayors were told today.

This morning Treasurer Andrew Fraser and Shadow Treasurer Tim Nicholls both suggested new funding models had to be investigated after the global financial crisis.

At the meeting, a second list of 12 infrastructure projects - ranging from the next phase of the Gold Coast's rapid transit project ($1.37 billion) to a Lockyer Valley helipad ($1.5 million) - were identified.

Mr Nicholls told the mayors that funding models which had allowed the $4.8 billion Airport Link and $3.2 billion Clem7 tunnel projects to proceed were no longer available.

Mr Nicholls said one option was "an availability charge", where the private sector provides the capital, but charges the government a fee for making the capital available.

"And the government will say - for example - that if the road is not open on this day we are not going to pay you," he said.

"Or if you are not able to carry this amount of traffic we are not going to be delivering the cheque that you expect."

Mr Nicholls said it was a "fee for service" type of operation where the private sector charged the government for providing the "use" of the private sector funding.

"That is one of the models that the private sector is talking about."

Mr Fraser said new ways of funding public private partnerships were being investigated, similar to that used for Legacy Way (Northern Link), in which Brisbane borrowed from the Queensland Treasury Corporation.

"In the toll road space it was previously the case that the proponent (winning private sector tender) was prepared to take the traffic risk," he said.

"What you are seeing in Legacy Way is the council proposing to build the tunnel on their balance sheet - on the public balance sheet - and assuming the traffic risk," he said.

"And then the council will 'sell that down' into the future. I think that is a model that you will see for toll roads in particular into the future.

"The council will obviously look to invest at the start of the project, and then look to sell down afterwards."

The Queensland Government is already providing new schools through a revamped public private partnership arrangement.

Mr Nicholls said this was an area the opposition was also exploring.

"There are opportunities, the private sector is telling us, that they would be looking at in being able to expand that into the economic or 'hard' infrastructure areas," he said.

Mr Fraser said it was right that the Council of Mayors prioritised projects to deliver a long-term plan - but not a election "shopping list" - for infrastructure projects.

"We are happy to go through the document that had been released by the Council of Mayors today and to look at those things that are required for the future," he said.

He said the government's priority still had to be recovering from the floods and cyclones, "not dancing into an election contest before we have met those priorities."

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/future-will-be-built-with-new-cash-models-20110719-1hmt5.html

[#Metro]

Mr Nicholls said one option was "an availability charge", where the private sector provides the capital, but charges the government a fee for making the capital available.

Yeah, its called a LOAN from the bank and has been around since time immemorial.

Ugh. Private sector tooth fairy is not going to pay for your infrastructure.

[Jonno]

Again our politicians have clearly demonstrated that they do not understand "all this infrastructure" is unaffordable because they have spent 40 years building infrastructure that not only increased the need for further direct investment (i.e. The more road capacity the bigger the problem) as well as indirect costs (e.g. road trauma, obesity, etc).  If they invest upfront in transit, freight rail and active transport then the overall burden on the tax dollar will ease over time and the infrastructure becomes afordable!!!!

[Mr X]

Nicholls must be joking.. Who the heck would commit to building government infrastructure, taking all the risk of blow outs/delays with the possibility you might get nothing back if it's late/doesn't perform as you won't get paid! Meanwhile some arrogant politician stands back and takes all the credit.